Roar

Konoha.

Hokage Office.

"Because I fought him, I discovered that aside from Space-Time Ninjutsu, he couldn't use Susanoo at all. Yet his ocular power was at the Mangekyō level."

"Space-Time Ninjutsu?"

The Third Hokage had just heard Kakashi's report that the masked man could use Space-Time Ninjutsu, which was extremely difficult to learn.

It seemed that the person Shamu had fought really was the same one.

Shamu figured that when Kakashi fought Obito, he must have learned that Obito could use Space-Time Ninjutsu.

The Third Hokage asked doubtfully, "So what if he can't use Susanoo?"

Shamu raised his head and glanced at the Anbu across from him.

The Anbu tactfully left the room, closing the door behind him.

"This is one of the secrets of our Uchiha Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Only when both Mangekyō Sharingan are intact can one unlock the ability known as Susanoo."

The Third Hokage connected all the pieces.

"You mean...?"

Shamu nodded.

"That's right. An Uchiha must awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan using their own eyes."

"The only Uchiha whose corpse and eyes vanished together was Uchiha Obito."

"A single Mangekyō Sharingan cannot activate Susanoo."

"Then that person can only be Obito!"

Shamu glared at Kakashi. "Kakashi, I refuse to believe that you didn't notice anything when Obito fought you. At a time like this, are you still going to cover for him!?"

Under Shamu's relentless questioning, Kakashi finally broke. "It was Obito. I saw his face."

Even Shamu was surprised. He hadn't expected Obito to reveal his face this time.

In truth, everything Shamu had said was based on the premise that Fugaku was the only one in the clan with the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The logic wasn't perfectly airtight, but as long as it broke Kakashi's defenses, that was enough.

After all, there was plenty of information Kakashi didn't know. He didn't even know that his own left eye had already become a Mangekyō Sharingan.

Shamu put on an angry expression. "You saw his face, and you didn't say so sooner!?"

Kakashi stammered, "I... I thought it was Genjutsu..."

Shamu did not accept that excuse. His face darkened. "What bullshit? An Elite Jonin can't tell the difference between Genjutsu and reality?"

"Were you trying to protect Obito!?"

"Answer me!"

Kakashi fell silent, unable to speak for a long while.

The Third Hokage could roughly understand Kakashi's feelings. After all, Kakashi's decline over the years was directly tied to Obito's death.

But the Third Hokage still could not understand why Uchiha Obito would do such things.

"Why? Why would Obito do something like this?" the Third Hokage could not help asking.

Shamu snorted. "Obito was always a foolish, sunny, cheerful kid when he was young. They called him the least Uchiha-like Uchiha."

"Though we weren't in the same class, we were in the same year, and I saw him plenty of times. Whenever he suffered setbacks, he always acted carefree."

"Besides, the Fourth Hokage and his wife were his teacher and teacher's wife. Why would he do something like this? I think Kakashi might know."

Shamu kicked the ball straight to Kakashi.

Kakashi should have the most to say about why Obito did those things.

And this was something Kakashi had to face.

The Third Hokage and Shamu both stared at Kakashi, and the atmosphere in the office became stifling.

Kakashi could no longer remain silent. His expression changed repeatedly before tears flowed from his one open eye.

"It was Rin! It had to be Rin!"

Kakashi was in unbearable pain. Even the bandages over his injured left eye were soaked by pale red tears.

"He was taking revenge. He was taking revenge on Sensei, and on Konoha..."

"Rin?"

The Third Hokage still remembered that Medical Ninja from Team Minato.

She had been gentle and deeply compassionate. Not long after the Kannabi Bridge Battle, she too had died.

In the end, Kakashi was the only one left of Team Minato.

"Obito loved Rin to his very bones, but Rin died. She died on the battlefield, killed by my own hand!"

"He hated Sensei for failing to save him in time..."

Kakashi muttered through his tears, unclear whether he was speaking to himself or explaining it to the other two.

The Third Hokage's head throbbed. What kind of logic was that? Kakashi had already submitted a report explaining why Rin had died by his hand.

Rin Nohara had voluntarily killed herself because she did not want the Three-Tails to destroy Konoha.

What did that have to do with the Fourth Hokage?

Naturally, the Third Hokage found the logic incomprehensible, because Obito believed he knew the truth.

The fundamental reason Obito sought revenge against Konoha was that he had despaired of this ninja world. Forget the Fourth Hokage—no one could have stopped him.

Though it differed somewhat from Kakashi's guess, there was still a deep connection between them.

Shamu watched with a cold expression as Kakashi spoke in agony.

"That day, he took off his mask. It was Obito's face, but I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. I told myself it was only Genjutsu, that he wasn't..."

Bang! Kakashi's words were cut off by a violent sound.

With a dark expression, Shamu had slammed one palm onto the Third Hokage's solid wooden desk, leaving a handprint in it. The depth of his anger was plain to see.

"I guessed Obito's identity and thought he must have suffered some terrible injustice to seek revenge like this. But it turned out to be such a goddamn ridiculous reason."

Kakashi opened his mouth. "When he took revenge on the village, he didn't take revenge on the Uchiha..."

Hearing Kakashi instinctively defend Obito even now, Shamu grabbed Kakashi by the collar with both hands and lifted him up. His furious roar made Kakashi's ears ring.

"Are you stupid!?"

"Whether he was taking revenge on you, on the Fourth Hokage, or on the village."

"That is not a reason to pin the blame on us Uchiha! We Uchiha have never wronged him!"

"He used the Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails and did all this. It was the greatest slander against us Uchiha!"

"Do you know how much misunderstanding the Uchiha have endured!?"

"Do you know how much suspicion the Uchiha have endured!?"

"Do you know how much injustice the Uchiha have endured!?"

"Do you know how badly the Uchiha have been implicated!?"

"Fuck love! There's no cure for being lovesick!"

"The villagers died for nothing! The Fourth Hokage died for nothing!"

"And even now, you're still speaking for Obito? Kakashi, was Minato not good enough to you!"

"Was Kushina not good enough to you!"

"You heartless bastard!"

Shamu violently shoved Kakashi to the ground.

Kakashi crashed onto the floor. The pain in his body could not compare to the pain in his heart.

His expression twisted in agony, his thoughts in chaos. He could not get up for a long time.

Shamu turned away and let out a breath, his face still filled with fury.

"Third Hokage, this matter is not over!"

"Tomorrow, we Uchiha will issue a statement revealing that the masked man is Uchiha Obito."

"I hope the Third Hokage will also issue a joint statement, publicizing the arrangements made by our Uchiha on the night of the Nine-Tails Incident and clearing our name."